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The CC - What’s Thistle and What’s Seed.
What’s Thistle and What’s Seed.On LinkedIn, I’m constantly propositioned to buy the seeds of leadership growth. Titles bombard me through sponsored posts, “Here's the 12 Seeds to Grow Successful Leaders.” For the first two-thirds of my life, this worked. I needed these seeds and planted them to grow a flourishing family, company and a leadership personality, one that caused me to be appreciated within a larger community. But I’m realizing that those seeds will not be the best to carry me through the final third of my life. Seeds and weeds are powerful allegories in many ancient writings. I like the present day lyrics of Mumford and Sons on “Thistle and Weeds”. Here’s two lines from it: “Plant your hope with good seeds; Don't cover yourself with thistle and weeds” I’ve been blessed with good seeds. With these, I’ve established my personal identity, decided on my ethical boundary markers, found security in my family, and linked myself to significant people and projects. These were both good and useful results. They gave me a place to stand. But this is the rub, after all these years, what used to be healthy ambition towards new projects, now feels like I’m planting the wrong seeds for this season. My identity used to be in entrepreneuring, but that’s now feeling like a forced performance; my old need for validation. I don't want to keep cultivating my identity through performance. If I do that, then in this final third of life, the familiar bag of seeds can become thistles. And these thistles can suffocate new growth when dreams fall short; and time is more of an emotional drag. I’ve had personal and family challenges that complicate my well-formed identity and even my ethical and religious formulas. I just don’t see how planting more of the same seeds will help. But by increasing my awareness and compassion for people, I hope to find new seeds. Each day, I’m learning how to stop planting old seeds that once worked. Learning to recognize these new seeds of wisdom don't need me to prove anything to the world in order to flourish. I’m not in a rush. There are many years left for me to watch this quiet growth of grace. I stopped on my way home the other day, just to appreciate the flagrant beauty of spring cherry blossoms. And as I write this I admire the pure friendships that surround me. Each day, I want to get new seeds planted deep in my soil. This spring, what new seeds do you have ready to plant? I would love to connect with you on LinkedIn or Facebook See you next week, Grayson Did someone forward you this email? Get weekly reflections straight to your inbox by subscribing to The Compassionate Competitor. Want to share this issue via text, social media, or email? Just copy and paste this link: [ARCHIVE URL GOES HERE] |
Grayson Bain
Join us if you're yearning for business insights peppered with adventure, humanity, and a dash of humility. It’s more than success; it’s about significance.
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